Emotion in Pakistani Punjabi Folk Music: Talib Hussain Dard as a Seller of Grief (1980–2019)

• MUHAMMAD AFAQ ISHRAT

  Author

This research delves into the profound, historically situated connection between music and emotions, focusing specifically on the role of Pakistani Punjabi folk music—and the genre of Jog in particular—in the evocation and expression of grief within the cultural landscape of the Sandal Bar region. The study employs the framework of the History of Emotions to investigate how emotional styles are transmitted through musical performance and how folk artists shape collective cultural narratives by connecting individuals to the affective dimensions of their regional identity. Music is analyzed as an "emotive" language, capable of creating powerful emotional resonance, particularly through the deliberate cultivation of negative emotions such as sadness and grief. The pivotal figure of Talib Hussain Dard (1955–2017) is critically examined; through his unique revival and masterful performance of Rag Jog in the Jhangochi dialect, Dard effectively became recognized as “The Seller of Grief” across the region from 1980 to 2019. This paper maps the historical origin and structure of Punjabi folk genres like Dhola, Mahiya, and Tappa, detailing how their poetic expressions serve as carriers for conveying human suffering and the collective pain stemming from societal, feudal, and personal struggles. Ultimately, this work contributes to the burgeoning field of emotion history by providing a micro-historical analysis of a performance tradition, evaluating the processes of catharsis and the balance between negative and positive emotional responses achieved by Dard's musical legacy among his predominantly rural audience. 

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